Turkish court rules to lift ban on Twitter

Turkish court rules to lift ban on Twitter

A Turkish court has issued a stay of execution ruling on the government’s decision to block access to Twitter. The ban was introduced six days ago.

The Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told reporters:

“We will implement the court’s decision. We might not like the court decision, but we will carry it out.”

The administrative court in Ankara made its ruling following a number of complaints filed at courts over the week to remove the ban.

Amongst those filing complaints were the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB), the Ankara Bar Associations, and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Oktay Vural. The Turkish Bar Association had described the move to block Twitter as arbitrary and unlawful.

The Telecommunications Directorate (TIB) has a right to object to the ruling, but access should be given before a second decision is made, legal experts say.

Prime Minister Erdogan’s government introduced the ban last week in an attempt to stifle material which if genuine is both damning and damaging to the government.

Erdogan said that Twitter was a threat to national security and expressed indifference to local and international opinion on the move.